Emily HellerComedy Bar, Toronto ON, July 21

Named a "Comic to Watch" by both Comedy Central and Variety, Emily Heller made her Toronto debut at the JFL42 preview series, where she really lived up to that title.

The 28-year-old "tarot card reader" seamlessly weaved stories together throughout her entire set, interacting with the crowd while not working off them. Heller gave us a sense of her childhood growing up in San Francisco to hippie parents who let her wear a container of oregano to school as a necklace, and being the weird kid in school who simply "didn't care what other people thought of her." Every little bit that Heller tells us about her life sets up up a subtle punch line, emphasized by her sarcastic delivery.

Heller's set at Comedy Bar was very personal: revelations included that she only smokes pot while on her period (imagine the Italian flag as a euphemism) and that she was in a relationship with an aspiring mime (one way to get over someone really quick — go to their mime school graduation). It was a relaxed environment, where Heller's storytelling was centre stage.

Being a single-woman and feminist who enjoys '90s rap, Heller is really loving her place in life. She is on a roll and is definitely a comic to watch. You should be marking September 19 on your calendars when she returns for JFL42.